


Olympus Boarding School

by VintageGoddess (TaleFairy)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:40:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21813145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaleFairy/pseuds/VintageGoddess
Summary: Olympus, stylized as OLYMPUS, is an expensive Boarding School for kids with rich parents and too much attitude, so, hopefully not me at all.My name is Lylith Holland Grace, and I've lived with my mother for the past 15 years, until she married again and sent me to live with my father, Zeus. Problem is, I barely know the guy or my TWO step-siblings, but now he's forcing me to study on this perfect school, which he owns, and I don't know how I'm gonna be able to mix with all these rich kids at all.But, if my Granpa taught me anything, it's to not be afraid of the unknown... Before he went crazy and tried to murder his own children.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Leo Valdez & Original Character(s), Leo Valdez & Original Female Character(s), Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Rachel Elizabeth Dare/Percy Jackson
Comments: 3
Kudos: 2





	1. Murphy's Law

_When I was younger, my mother used to say that it doesn't matter when, where, or who I'm with, I must always stay the same._

_I always loved when she said that, it made me feel like she would never change, like she would never leave me... until College, of course.  
_

_Unfortunately, as Murphy used to say, 'Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong', and he couldn't be more correct._

_Three months ago, my mother sent me to live with my father, Zeus, a person I rarely got to see growing up. Of course, that, even now that I live under the same roof as him, I barely see him, which, honestly, seems like a good thing._

_The thing is, Zeus is what you can call a womanizer, and my mother wasn't the only woman who got knocked up by him, resulting in two other babies, my siblings, who probably have no idea I even exist, due to the fact that they grew up with dad, and I didn't._

_Two weeks ago, my father announced that, like his other children, I was going to study at Olympus, a very expensive Boarding School in California, and, honestly, I don't know if I should be happy or scared._

As the alarm clock releases its much annoying song in the morning, I slowly open my eyes, glancing at the calendar next to my bed and smiling. First day of school.

I hear a knock on the door before my father comes in, dressed in one of his best suits, a bright smile on his face. "Good Morning, princess." 

"'Morning, dad." I yawn. "When am I leaving?" 

He glances at his watch for a slight second before looking up at me. "In an hour, do you have everything packed up already?" 

"Yes, everything is already in the car, I'm gonna take a quick shower, change, eat and then we can leave. My backpack is also in the car, front seat." 

He frowns. "You're a child, you can't sit in the front seat."

"Almost eighteen, I must say." I roll my eyes. "And Argos said I could sit in the passenger's seat, so..." I trail off, shrugging.

He nods slowly, approaching my bed and giving me a kiss on the forehead. "I hope you have a good year, Princess. Don't forget to look for your siblings, Jason and Thalia."

"Will do." I promise, smiling a little as he leaves the room, then getting up and heading to the shower.   
  
After taking a quick shower I start dressing up, making sure my hair has properly dried and my clothes have no wrinkles. As dad always says 'you only got one shot at a first impression, so make it a good one'.

I finish getting ready and start making the bed, leaving it ready for when I come home for vacation. I take one last look at my almost empty room and rush downstairs, smiling as I see Argos talking to Helen, our housekeeper, or nanny, as dad puts it. I really prefer the term housekeeper. "Morning, guys!" I say with an excited smile.

"'Morning, little one." Argos says, running a hand through my hair. 

"Hey, don't mess up my curls!" I pout. 

"Oh no, you're already starting to sound like one of them." He says half-scared and I roll my eyes.

"No, I'm not. I just want to make a good impression." I smile, sitting down and grabbing three slices of bacon and some eggs. 

Helen smiles. "I'm sure you will, little one." She says, sitting next to me. "But don't forget..."

"Always stay true to yourself, no one is worth changing for." I say and she nods.

"I'm gonna miss you so badly." She says as she squeezes my arm.

"I'm gonna be back for the holidays, remember?" I smile, chuckling. 

She sighs. "Yeah, with the little devils." 

"I bet they aren't that bad." 

"You're gonna lose that bet." She smirks. "C'mon, it's almost time to go." I finish eating, and she hands me a medium holographic lunch box. "I cooked a little something for you to eat on your flight." She says before hugging me tightly. "I'm gonna miss you, little one." 

"I'm gonna miss you too, Helen." 

After all the goodbyes are said, I grab my lunch box and walk with Argos to the car, going to the front seat before putting my headphones on and taking in the beauty of the Lightning Mansion one last time. 

Half an hour later, Argos pulls over and starts unloading my baggage, I smile and thank him as I take my passport and my ticket and we start walking to the plane. "Don't worry, kiddo, I'm sure they'll love you." He says before hugging me. 

A tall boy starts tagging before asking me if the backpack is all my hand baggage, I nod and he tells me to go to the plane. I get in, finding my seat and smiling as the flight attendant comes to me, I ask her for some juice and she comes back in no time, then I open my book and relax, enjoying my first time in first class. 

Three hours later, I'm woken up by the plane landing on California, and I smile widely as I take my backpack and get off the plane with a bunch of other people. I walk to the airport and wait to get my baggage, sighing in relief as I notice nothing got lost. As I walk some more, I see a guy with a white sign with my name on it, Lylith Holland Grace, written in red. I smile and wave at him, and he gently offers to take some of my baggage, I thank him. "Hello, my name is Chiron, I'm an old friend of your father's and the responsibility for taking you to Olympus in safety." 

"Thank you so much, I'm Lylith... But you already know that." I say chuckling.

He nods and hands me a warm smile as we walk to a beautiful limo, the driver puts my baggage in then Chiron and I enter. I look at it, amazed. Even though it's not the first time I see one, it still shocks me how beautiful they are. "Your father told me you would like." Chiron says and I nod.

"I bet you thought I was a bratty spoiled child because of that." I laugh. 

He nods slowly. "Well, something like that." He chuckles.

It doesn't take too long for us to arrive at Olympus, and as we do, I think my head was going to explode with so many things to look at once. "Dear God, this place is amazing." I say, looking at the vast green gardens and the gorgeous school building. 

"It was designed by Athena, a friend of your father's who's also your Ancient History, Archeology and History teacher. She's one of the wisest people you'll ever meet, I guarantee." Chiron says as he opens the door and exits the limo. The driver opens my door and I thank him, smiling as I look around. "Come on, I'll show you the way to the Principal's office, you can leave the baggage here." He says and I nod. 

We enter the beautiful building, walking through the hallways as he points out the classrooms, libraries and bathrooms. I listen carefully until we are standing in front of a solid wooden door, Chiron knocks three times before it opens.

A tall, chubby man in his late-thirties answers the door, a smile on his face and a purple suit on his body, I hold a laugh, I've never seen a purple suit before, but he's definitely rocking it. "You must be Lylith Grace, I'm Dionysus, but you can call me Mr D." He says, his hand out for me to shake. I shake his hand and Chiron quickly mutters a goodbye before leaving me alone with Mr D. "Please, sit down." I sit on one of the chairs, the school's orange and purple coat of arms shining on the wall behind him as he sits behind his desk and looks at his papers. "Well, Miss Grace, I must say that, compared to your siblings, your transcript kind of shocked me. Great grades, lots of volunteer work, no detentions and a perfect school record." He says, his eyebrows raised. "I hope you stay this way through the year."

"I will, Mr D. I intend to." I say smiling. 

He nods. "That's good to hear, Miss Grace." He collects a few papers. "Here are your class schedules, the school books, and a guide with all the school rules, you're also receiving a personal notebook and a map of the school, if you need anything, please don't hesitate on asking me or the other professors. Have a good year." He says, getting up and walking me to the door. 

I nod. "Thank you, Mr D." I say before he closes the door. I frown, looking at the school map and smiling as I see he marked my room with a purple pen, Room 345. 

After wandering through the hallways for a while I finally accept the fact that I'm lost, until I see a tall, blonde figure and sigh in relief, walking to the boy and poking him gently.

He quickly turns around, eyeing me top to bottom. "Yes?"

"Hum... Could you maybe show me the way to room 345?" I ask, blushing a little and thanking God for my darker skin, that way is harder for people to see when I'm blushing.

"And you would be...?" The boy asks, raising an eyebrow. 

"Oh, my name is Lylith, Lylith Grace." I smile shyly, putting my hand out for him to shake. 

He nods, shaking my hand. "I'm Octavian, prefect." 

"Thank God! I couldn't ask for anyone better to help me." I say. 

"Really?" He asks and I nod. "Oh..." He cleans his throat before smiling a little. "Well, I'll show you the way to your dorm, but I have to say, you're in the Male side of the dorms." He chuckles and I blush.

"Am I? Dammit, I even have a map!" I say, shaking my head. 

"It's upside down." He says amused, turning the map around. "See?" He says and I nod as we start walking. "So, another Grace, huh? You don't seem so much like the other ones." 

"I've been hearing this a lot lately, is that a good thing?" I ask. 

He nods. "It's a great thing, believe me." He laughs as we stop in front of a white door, a huge sign on the front with a few colourful pens. "You can write your name on the door, this way everyone will know you're here." He says, handing me a pink pen. 

"Thanks! I think I'll do a multi-colour one." I chuckle, taking a red pen and writing Lylith Holland Grace in mixed colours.

Octavian smiles. "Beautiful handwriting, you really are something else..." He says gently and I blush. He cleans his throat and blushes a little bit. "Well, I must leave you now, if you have any other questions, my room is 250." He smiles and I nod. 

"Thank you so much, Octavian." I say hugging him but quickly pulling back. "Oh... I'm sorry, sorry." 

"It's, huh, okay, I guess... I'll see you." He says before turning around and leaving. 

I smile as I enter the dorm, closing the door behind me and finding a completely empty room. I shrug, glad to be the first one to arrive as I pick the bed further from the door and next to a window. I smile as I see the shelves and wardrobe, and also a small bedside table, red, pink handles. I chuckle, I'm sure dad has something to do with this. 

One hour later and all my books, clothes, accessories and the rest of my stuff are perfectly in place, so I lay on the bed, opening a book and starting to read.

Not much later, I hear a click and smile as the door starts to open, excited to meet my new roommates.


	2. Roomies

As the door opens, four girls and four guys come in. I smile, getting up and walking to them. The girls face me with a curious, and, dare I say, angry expression. "Hello, I'm-" 

"We know." The tall blonde says. "Your name is on the door, idiot." She chuckles, being followed by her friends. 

I blush. "Well, I, uh, will be living here for the year. It's really nice to meet you." I say, my hand out for her to shake. I wait for what it seems to be awkward 20 seconds until realizing she's not gonna shake it, putting my hand back in the pocket of my jeans. 

"I'm Annabeth Chase. This is Silena Beauregard." She says, pointing at the most beautiful girl I've seen so far, with flawless skin and dark brown hair, who smiles a little and waves.

"This is Piper McLain." She says pointing at another girl, very similar to Silena, but with a more hippie look and a darker skin tone. "And this-" She starts. 

"Thalia." I interrupt her with a bright smile, hugging the pale girl with bright blue eyes. "Father told me everything about you."

"Father?" She asks, casually pushing me away. 

"I'm Lylith, your... sister? My mother is Agatha Holland?" I say, smiling.

"Oh..." She smirks, looking at her friends. "My father had an affair with a gold digger model a few years ago." She explains and I blush. 

"They were married." I say. 

"Yeah, for a year. Because someone decided to get pregnant." She chuckles. 

"Making a baby is an act that involves two people." I state. 

"And how would you know that? You went to an all-girls school throughout your whole life." She smirks.

"My father loved my mother." I say, angry. "They loved each other and only split because of your mother. I am older than you for two months which means that I am the true Heir of his company. Or did you forget that?" I spit without thinking, my lips in a thin line as she stares at me with anger. 

"How dare you, I'm sure you forgot Jason-" She starts.

"Who was born as father was still married to my mother, therefore, he's not legitimate, which means I am still the heir." I smile. "But I'm sure you already knew that. Nice to meet you by the way, brother. I'm sorry for interrupting your party." I say as I turn around and go back to my bed. 

"The bed next to the window is mine." Annabeth says. 

"Good luck with that, it's taken." I say, putting my earphones on and turning on a playlist on spotify. 

Annabeth looks at me with rage as she walks to me, a tall boy with black hair and green eyes stopping her. "Annie, she's not worth it." He says.

She smiles, nodding. "You're right, she's not. Let's just go to the game room." She says, turning around and taking everyone with her. 

As I look at them, my eyes meet with the eyes of a boy, probably my age, with brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes, who raises his eyebrows at me before following Annabeth out. 

I sigh, laying on the bed and closing my eyes as I think of the year that's about to come.


	3. Apologies

About 3 minutes after they left, I realise the mistake I've made.

I tried to be nice, I want to be nice because I wanted them to like me. But, even though we have our problems, I do not accept anyone talking shit about my mother. Especially because I know how much she loved my father and how much he loved her, and even though they're no longer together I know they still care for each other. I mean, they did have their difficulties, after all, father used to be married to Thalia's mother, Beryl, but they had a fight when he fell in love with my mother, Agatha. He then proceeded to file the divorce papers and married my mother, with whom he stayed with for 5 years, not one, as Thalia said. One night, my mom and my dad had a fight, and he ended up sleeping with Beryl, she got pregnant with Jason, but soon realized she couldn't make much money from dad because of the divorce and the fact he was married. Then, two years later, I was born, the first legitimate child of Zeus Grace, but because of my mother and my father's work, they had more fights, and split up five months after I was born, right in time for Thalia's birth, whom my father conceived after a drunken night.

So, yeah, my dad is an idiot when it comes to women, and my mother is no saint herself, after all, she was the one who told me all of this, but I truly believe that the love they felt for each other was pure and beautiful, so strong that they knew that, even if it hurts both of their hearts, it would be better for them to split up.

So, in the end, Thalia and Jason were born out of marriage, and, as most people know, bastards are not entitled to their parents' properties. Plus, from what dad told me, they have no interest in the industry as well, not like I do, and, honestly, I feel like Zeus Inc. owns so many companies, that it would be impossible for me not to be fascinated by at least one of them. 

But, even though we have our differences, it's fair to remember that I'll be sharing a room with my half-sister for a year, and it would be a much better experience if we were at least in good terms. 

After 1 hour and 40 minutes, right on time for the curfew, Annabeth, Thalia and Piper arrive, laughing aloud with a bottle of coca-cola on each of their hands.

I look at them as they start organizing their stuff, talking about boys while they do. Thalia seems to roll her eyes more than once, and I know it is because she's into girls. Piper, on the other hand, is Jason's girlfriend, so I guess I should try to be friends with her and Thalia more than with Annabeth. 

I approach Piper, who seems to be struggling with her bedsheets, so I walk to her and help her. She smiles up at me. "Thank you." She says, her hand out for a shake. 

I shake her hand and smile. "You're welcome." I say. "I like your hair." I say. 

She smiles. "Oh, thank you! It was my mother's idea. Her name is Aphrodite." She says. 

"Wait, _the_ Aphrodite? The fashion designer?" I ask and she nods. "Wow! I went with my mother to her fashion show once, they're friends and my mother worked with her a few times." I say. "She's brilliant, her designs are amazing." 

"Thank you." Piper smiles. "Your mother's name is Agatha Holland, right?" I nod. "I met her once, she's gorgeous."

"Obviously you don't have much of her genes." Annabeth comments and I blush. 

"No need for that, Annie." Piper says shaking her head. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." I say, turning around. "I understand why you're being rude, I was rude with you earlier and I'm deeply sorry, it won't happen again." I say. 

Annabeth chuckles. "Of course it won't." She hisses, walking to me. "You're gonna be a good little girl and respect me just like everyone else in this school. Because you, my darling, are a new bee. And I'm the fucking queen. Which means you are nothing and I am everything, am I clear?" She smiles.

I nod slowly. "Crystal." I say, turning around and walking back to my bed.

Great, they hate me.


	4. Friends and Art... Art Friends?

Sunday. A day to rest, read, enjoy the rain falling and...

Wake up with Rihanna screaming in your ears.

I blindly look for my clock, grabbing it from the nightstand and slowly opening my eyes and instantly shutting them again as a very bright light almost blinds me.

I cover my head with a blanket and glance at my clock. Great, is 6 o'clock. I didn't have to wake up at least until seven! That was the deal! Dad said that breakfast only starts at eight, which means that by waking up at seven (instead of six, like I did at my last school), I could have one more hour to sleep! It sounded like heaven in my head, until Rihanna started yelling.

I sigh and slowly remove the blanket, looking around to see Annabeth and Thalia yelling something about money (probably the song) and Piper was quietly folding her clothes.

She looks at me for a second and realizes I'm awake, her lips spell 'sorry' and she goes back to folding. 

I decide to get up, and start making my bed. 

"Look who's awake." Thalia points out, making Annabeth look at me. 

"Oh... We didn't wake you up, did we?" Annabeth asks, smirking.

I shake my head. "Not at all." I lie, not giving up so easily.

She raises an eyebrow then looks at Thalia, who shrugs and keeps yelling the song.

I start separating my hygiene products to shower, putting everything important and personal on a drawer and locking, just in case Annabeth and Thalia think about breaking and/or stealing something. I know I`m overreacting, but they do frighten me and I know they're not fond of me.

I silently finish making my bed and put everything I need on a plastic bag, ignoring Annebeth's comments about my slippers or Thalia trying to make me trip over myself, and walk out of the room.

Olympus' Girls Dorm is huge! And perfectly decorated with all of the paintings of all the previous powerful women that walked through these halls. Not much different from my old school.

The bathrooms, on the other hand, are extraordinary. Decorated in shades of coral and lilac in a classic, charming way. 

I sigh in relief as I realize there are no girls in the bathroom, which is both amazing and scary, because if all the girls here are like Annabeth, then I don't really wanna meet them, but it would be nice to make some friends, for a change.

I leave my blue bag outside before walking in the shower, stripping and putting my robe with my bag. I turn on the shower and smile as the water drowns my body, slowly washing my thoughts away.

A few minutes later, I turn off the shower and grab my robe, walking out of the shower and almost screaming as I see another person. 

"Don't worry, I don't bite." The girl says, chuckling as she finishes her cat eyeliner. 

"Sorry, it's just... I didn't hear you coming in." I smile, grabbing my bag and slippers. "I'm Lylith." I say.

"The Grace kid?" She asks with a smirk and I blush. 

"You... Know who I am?" I ask. 

"Annabeth talked shit about you to the entire school yesterday, that's why I was dying to meet you. Anyone she hates is my friend." She says.

I smile. "When then I guess we're friends 'cause she hates my guts."

"All those popular kids are just ridiculous." She rolls her eyes, cleaning her hands on her overalls, that is already messy with what seems to be paint. "I'm Rachel, by the way. It's nice to finally meet a Grace who's not fucked up."

"Well thank you." I smile. "I like your overalls, are you an artist or something?"

"Yes!" She says excitedly. "I paint. A lot. I can show you some of my paintings if you like..." She says kinda embarrassed.

"I would love to, I just need to get dressed." I chuckle.

After I get dressed, I start working on my makeup and noticed Rachel taking a picture of me. I frown. "Why did you take a picture?" 

"Sorry, you look really good, very artistic." She smiles. "I like pictures." 

I smile. "Oh, thank you." 

"So... Is your mother black?" She asks. "I'm sorry, it's just you don't look like your siblings, at all."

I chuckle. "No problem, I understand. Ever heard of Agatha Holland?"

"Model, Philanthropist and Feminist? Who hasn't?" She chuckles. 

"She's my mother." I smile.

"WHAT? She's gorgeous!" She blushes. "I loved her book about Feminism on the Runway." She smiles.

"Thanks... So what do your parents do?" I ask.

"Uh..." She blushes. "My mother died when I was little and my dad teaches Art here." 

"I'm really sorry about your mom... But it must be cool to see your dad every day."

"Yeah, sometimes it is, but he can be quite embarrassing." She chuckles.

"All parents are, don't worry about it." I smile. "So, I'll just drop my stuff at my dorm, then I can see your art."

"Cool, I'll walk with you if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

Rachel proceeded to tell me all about her work and inspirations, which were, might I say, really good and surprisingly emotional. She has the kind of mind I like in a friend, very liberal and accepting, very artistic, yet fiery (redheads, right?), and I'm sure we'll be good friends.

"You think so?" She asks with a smile. 

"I'm sure. You're really cool." I say. 

"So... What about you?" 

"Well, I consider myself a pretty artistic person as well." I chuckle. 

"Oh, you draw?" She asks with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Oh, no... I dance. Ballet. Ballet is basically my life. I like singing, too. And acting. I was the best at my theatre group back at my old school... You guys have a Drama Club, right?"

"Yes, yes... But I wouldn't get too excited. Thalia and Will, Nico Di Angelo's boyfriend, basically run the place. Which is funny 'cause Thalia is only taking Drama because she needs it for her resume." She chuckles.

"Thalia seems like a pretty... Well, antisocial person."

"She gives me the creeps. That's why people are always around her, fear. I'm pretty sure the only person who doesn't fear Thalia is Annabeth, 'cause she can do worse."

"Now I'm freaked out, thanks." I chuckle, shaking my head as I open the dorm room door. 

Thalia and Annabeth are now sitting on Piper's bed, talking about something while Piper braids Annabeth's hair. It's like entering a 50's male fantasy.

"Come in." I tell Rachel with a smile as I walk to my bedroom, leaving my stuff in there before starting to walk out. 

"I see you've already made friends with the help." Thalia says chuckling and I frown, as Rachel blushes and prepares to explode. 

"Maybe she could 'help' you find your manners." I burst out, walking out with Rachel before she could say anything.

"You... That was... Wow." Rachel says chuckling. "But she's your sister... Won't she tell your dad?"

"She's not my sister. She's just the daughter of the woman my father cheated on my mother with." 

Rachel and I spent the next two hours in her room, talking about art, sculpture, feminism, and a lot more. She shared a room with a very nice - yet scary - girl named Clarisse; a cute petit girl whose skin is almost the same tone as mine called Hazel; and Nico di Angelo's sister (whom I automatically loved for her fierce yet loving behaviour), Bianca.

Bianca was chatting with two girls, Juniper and Zöe. Juniper seemed very happy to meet me, always excited and giggling; Zöe seemed like a quiet girl, cold, like Thalia but more receptive towards other people; Bianca is a sweetheart after chatting for a bit, and doesn't seem like the cold, annoyed little boy she shares a family with, Nico; Hazel is amazing, she's vivid and says what's in her mind, and I think we'll be great friends since she's not well-liked by the popular crew either; Clarisse is probably my favourite, the girl is very decided, very proud and yet, very kind on the inside, she instantly walked up to me and introduced herself, and seemed to be friends with Silena, Annabeth's friend, but refuses to take sides for, as she says, she's not the biggest fan of Annabeth, but she would protect Silena at all costs. They're cousins, for what I've been able to make out. 

The girls decided to stay behind and chat as Rachel and I walked out, rushing to breakfast as Rachel promises me she'll show me around.

When we arrive, the Hall, or Amazon as Rachel calls it (because of the wild kids), is not full, yet not empty. A few kids eat here and there, talking to each other of listening to music with their airpods.

Rachel walks me to one of the many tables and starts choosing what she wants. I grab a bottle of orange juice and a package filled with grapes and small pieces of watermelon, while Rachel picks a peach juice and a package with chocolate pancakes and a fork. 

We sit together, chuckling as a bunch of teens start running inside because of the rain, all hungry and full of hormones.

"So I'm really experimenting with pop art right now, you know? 'Cause it's so interesting to play with the colours, you know?" Rachel says and I nod as I eat, my attention drifting to the door.

I see his blonde hair before anything else, he's wearing a baby blue sweater and he smiles awkwardly at me. I wave. He looks at his friends, who are sitting in the corner right next to the door, and says something to them before walking to us. 

"Shit!" Rachel says as he sits next to me. "It's the police, hide your drugs!"

Octavian rolls his eyes. "Haha, very funny, Van Gogh." 

Rachel makes a grimace before she keeps eating. 

"So... Good Morning." Octavian says. 

I smile. "Morning." 

"Didn't pick you as an 'up with the sunrise' kind of person." He chuckles. 

"Oh, that's 'cause I'm not. Annabeth and Thalia turned up the music at 6 am. I was forced to wake up." I sigh. 

He nods. "Oh, yes... Annabeth can be quite... Complicated. I heard what she said about you last night, it was mean even for her." 

"I've been through worse, I'm not gonna let her break me." I shrug. 

"Talking about the devil...." Rachel says as she looks at the door. 

And then again, there they are. Annabeth, Nico, Percy, Thalia, Jason, Piper and Silena, with a very uncomfortable Clarisse and that other boy whose name I can't remember. Annabeth chooses to sit right in the table in front of us, which both angers me and freaks me out, because she stares at me for a while before looking away while the boy, the one with the beautiful eyes, keeps looking at me, and I feel my cheeks burning as I look to my food. "Who's that?" 

"Who?" Rachel asks. 

"The brown-haired boy with Annabeth, I think he's latinx?"

"Oh... No. No, no, no." Rachel says. 

I frown. "What ?"

"That, darling, is Leo Valdez. Very annoying. Womanizer. Bad news. Very bad news. Jason and Leo are basically the reason all the boys in this school are idiots, all of them want to be like those two, they're not just annoying but they think they're so superior! Always dragging poor innocent girls into their charm to later break their heart, for sport!" Rachel says angrily, making me question if that's personal in some way to her. 

I nod, I wouldn't want to be near anyone who's friends with Annabeth, but now I see he's even worse. And the worst part is, he's pretty cute. And I know he knows that.   
"He looks like a jerk." I simply say.

Actually no, he doesn't.


	5. The Antis

Before Olympus, I used to go to St. Magdalene, a Religious Academy for Girls, which awarded the grace and beauty of women and encouraged them to be strong and fierce at the same time.

I owe that school a lot, for showing me that I shouldn't apologize for being myself and letting me explore my mind in different ways. Of course, it wasn't until I left St. Magdalene that I realized how much that school meant to me, from behaviour to communication, St. Magdalene was all I ever knew.

But I'm at Olympus now, and at Olympus scheming, bullying and being rude to people you don't even know seem to be acceptable. It didn't take much for me to realize that, while being against Annabeth and her minions, Rachel was also a fiery girl who refused to bow her head down, and she wasn't alone. Octavian, Rachel, Zöe, Bianca, Juniper and a few other people formed the Antis, a movement dedicated to fighting the "evil" in our school. I found that quite entertaining, actually, and gladly agreed on being a part of it.

There also were two boys, Pollux and Castor, sons of the principal, who were friends with Octavian, but weren't exactly members of the Antis. With their love for beauty and luxury, they provided the squad with all the details and stuff they needed about the lives of the popular kids.

I don't really know what to think about Castor since he's quite reserved, but Pollux, the complete opposite of his twin brother in personality, seems like an energetic, fun person to be around. I also met Travis and Connor, two well-known troublemakers who reminded me of Fred and George, from the Harry Potter book series (they loved the compliment, by the way). Those two wore amazing, and, even though Travis isn't a member of the Antis (unlike his twin Connor), he's still a nice person to be around.

They told me that their brother, Luke Castellan (who's now in college), is the ex-boyfriend of Annabeth herself, and a good old friend of the Popular kids. Luke seemed nice, he's studying History and focusing his major on the Art of War, and, even though I didn't exactly meet him, I was shocked to think about a college guy wanting anything to do with someone as childish as Annabeth, but then I remembered he's a man and probably took advantage of her, which weight heavy on my heart.

After my first Anti meeting, I was gifted with a golden pin, which showed the image of a bird with its wings opened, just like in the Hunger Games. Octavian explained that they chose the symbol because of its meaning, a cry for freedom and better days.

The group also told me about the things Annabeth has done in the past with those who "disobeyed" her, and they made very clear that she has a red target painted on my back. But I'm not freaking out... Of course not. 

Later, before dinner, I met Mr Richard Dare, our art teacher who also owns an Art Gallery and is Rachel's father. I was thrilled to find out that Rachel's last name is "Dare" which matches amazingly her personality.

When I went back to my dorm, a couple minutes before midnight (their curfew is SO LATE), I found the Popular Kids laughing, drinking and smoking in the middle of the room, and controlled myself not to roll my eyes as I walked to my bed and opened my notebook, wanting to check my e-mail before going to sleep. I assumed Annabeth got the booze and drugs in the same way Travis and Connor get their prank stuff, through Luke.

I also couldn't help but noticing Leo's piercing chestnut eyes dig into my skin as I walked to my bed, while a girl named Drew had her mouth attached to his neck. I wanted to throw up at the sight, but instead, I tried to focus on writing to my dad. 

_Dear dad, things around here are looking pretty good.  
I was scared to meet Jason and Thalia at first, but they seem even nicer than you told me. Everyone here is so captivating and sweet, I can't wait to tell you all about the friends I've made! The Grace name seems to have quite a reputation everywhere, huh?  
I hope business in India is nice, if you could send me a few art supplies or some clothing from there, I would love, you know how I love their luxurious clothing.   
Hope you're having as much fun as I am,   
Xoxo,   
Lylith. _  
  
Not all lies, might I add. The Grace name does have a reputation everywhere, just not a good one for everyone. And as about friends, I do have a few of those, but saying that Jason and Thalia are nice is exaggerating even for me. After sending the letter, I wait until everyone goes to their dorms to start changing into my pyjamas, trying to ignore Annabeth's comments about my flat chest. She sure knows where to hit for it to sting. 

\--

When I woke up in the Monday morning, glad to be one of the last ones to open my eyes, that way I don't have to worry about Annabeth or her minions giving me shit in the morning, I decided to take a quick shower, and as I walk into the bathroom, I'm surprised to see Rachel and a few other Anti members there. They greet me, and Rachel starts rambling as soon as she sees me.

It's the good, informative, kind of rambling though, about how Annabeth started labelling herself and her clique as "school royalty", and, although I want to laugh, I don't, as it is actually scarier than funny, especially once I remember I have The Art of Music with her today. TAOM is a class organized by a professional dancer and choreographer, Donatella, and it's all about dancing and singing. I don't really understand why it is in our curriculum as a standard class instead of a club or something, but it seemed like a fun class until I learned that most of the Royalty was in it. 

After my quick shower, I step out of the booth to share a large mirror with the other girls. "Isn't it weird that there are almost no girls in here?" I ask. 

"Most girls like to use the Royalty bathroom, makes them feel good about themselves." Hazel says while winging her eyeliner.

"Royalty bathroom?" I chuckle.

"A few years ago, there was a classroom at the end of the corridor of the girl's dorm. It was destroyed for some reason, I think because it was hard to access and a lot of boys used it to sneak into the girls dorm, so they closed it and made another bathroom, it's exactly like this one, but the difference is that the Royalty uses it, and they only allow certain people in there while they're using it. Annabeth always showers when the sun rises, so after she and her minions leave, the other girls are free to use it." Rachel explains.

"Not all girls are free to use it, though, only the loyal followers of Annabeth, like Thalia, Piper, Silena and Drew." Hazel mentions. "And anyone who's willing to sacrifice their souls to her, I imagine." She chuckles.

My hands shake at the mention of Drew. "Who is this Drew girl anyways? I've seen her yesterday with Annabeth, desperately trying to make out with Leo."

"Drew and Leo are the light bulb couple. On again off again. It's been this way since the fourth grade, every time one of them sleeps or kisses or makes out with someone else they 'break up' but then they sleep together three days later and boom, they're back together." Zöe chuckles. "That girl is extremely mean, sometimes I question how she's Piper's sister." 

"Do you guys remember when she spray-painted Julia Degrassi's prom dress? The girl changed schools after that." Hazel says. "Julia spent 9 months making that dress herself. And Drew ruined it."

"What did Julia do to deserve that? There has to be a reason, right?" I ask shocked. 

"Nothing, she was practically mute. Never spoke a word to anyone." Rachel says. "Drew just likes to play games with people for no apparent reason, she's one of Annabeth's most powerful weapons, she can start rumours about anyone at any time. With the most realistic details ever."

"So if you hear around school that Hazel had sex with a Zebra or any other animal, it's a lie." Zöe laughs. 

"Ugh, I can't believe people actually believe that." Hazel rolls her eyes. 

After I finish dressing up, I start checking myself in the mirror and bite my lip. I really do have a flat chest and no sight of a decent ass. But the uniform is cute, so I can't complain. The Olympus uniform for girls can be bought in two colours, purple and orange. As for the boys, black pants and orange or purple ties. The blazers, worn by all students regardless of their gender, were black with the school's coat of arms sewn on them.

"That's a lovely necklace." Rachel says, adjusting her orange skirt. 

"Thanks." I smile. "It was my mother's."

"Ready to go?" Rachel asks. 

"Just one more thing." I say, pining the golden pin on my blazer. 

Now, I'm officially a member of the Antis.


End file.
